James Cameron’s Aliens remains one of the famed Alien franchise‘s most revered movies, and it includes a clever detail fans will get a kick out of. Released in 1986 as a direct sequel to Ridley Scott’s original 1979 Alien movie. The longstanding IP has produced numerous stories over the decades — all revolving around the lethal extraterrestrial creatures known as xenomorphs. Aliens sees the return of Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley after surviving the massacre aboard the Nostromo. Ripley’s next adventure takes her to a terraforming colony overcome by a massive hive of xenomorphs, among them a dangerous queen. Facing off against the giant queen at the end of Aliens, Ripley defeats the monster by throwing her out of an airlock while taking off from the moon LV-426. Once again emerging as one of two survivors, Ripley goes on to encounter the xenomorphs again in 1992’s Alien 3 and 1997’s Alien Resurrection.
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The design of Aliens‘ xenomorph queen was created by Cameron and special effects artist Stan Winston. Some of the matriarch’s scenes in the film were filmed using a life-sized animatronic, while others employed a miniature replica of the creature. Queens differ from the average xenomorph by way of their larger frame, unique head crest, and greater intelligence. Moreover, the survival instinct and defense mechanisms of queens are far superior to those of their children, making them extraordinarily lethal. But the xenomorph queen in Cameron’s Aliens has one more noticeable distinction. It’s a little hard to see, but the queen’s feet appear like something else entirely, and fans will have a laugh when they realize what it is.
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The Xenomorph Queen in Aliens Is Wearing High Heels
Upon a close inspection, the xenomorph queen’s feet look like a pair of high-heeled shoes. This is such a fun, yet genius, detail because the heel shape appears totally natural among the many sharp features on the xenomorph’s exoskeleton. So, while an alien wearing high heels sounds silly, it almost goes completely unnoticed by viewers. Given the sci-fi horror elements of the Alien franchise, it’s fortunate that the queen’s high-heeled feet don’t reduce the creature to a parody of itself. The Alien franchise has always found ways to sprinkle notes of humor throughout while remaining genuinely suspenseful and terrifying. You can get a better look at the high heels in the below Facebook post from an Alien fan community.
As it turns out, there’s more to the hilarious high-heeled feet of the xenomorph queen than meets the eye. As a character, the xenomorph queen was incorporated into Aliens‘ story as a twisted way to parallel Ripley’s maternal role with Newt, the orphaned girl found alone on the moon. Ripley takes Newt under her wing as the xenomorphs kill off their Space Marine allies one by one. Thus, the xenomorph queen’s high heels work to subtly emphasize the creature’s status as a matriarch, complementing her tall crest — which also looks like an elaborate headpiece or crown. The high heels are certainly a hilarious addition, but they are far from meaningless to the character.
It’s No Surprise That James Cameron Incorporated This Amusing Detail in Aliens
Most movie buffs know that Cameron exists among the greatest filmmakers to ever live. His consistent use of cutting-edge technology and knack for spectacular visual storytelling have separated Cameron from the average movie-maker. Among the myriad of qualities that cement Cameron with the best is his extreme attention to detail. The director’s intense focus on the minutiae in his films always seems to transcend what viewers expect, leading many Easter eggs and clever details to be noticed only after numerous viewings of a title.
For instance, the world and characters of Pandora in Cameron’s Avatar movies are rife with subtleties. Cameron also took care to incorporate scores of real-life people — both important and lesser-known individuals — and recreate numerous true storylines in Titanic. Additionally, Cameron featured a similar exosuit in the final battles of Aliens and Avatar. Brimming with symbolism and allegories, many of Cameron’s movies have earned their place in cinema history thanks to the director’s detail-oriented approach. Aliens is no exception to this rule, and the xenomorph queen’s high heels prove that Cameron can also have a sense of humor when adding in small, yet significant, details.
Aliens is currently available to stream on Hulu.
